Flying high in Reno

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, August 31, 2008

Marilyn Dash's Pitts Special will be one of more than 200 aircraft at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno Sept. 10-14, 2008. Filename: smile

Marilyn Dash's Pitts Special will be one of more than 200 aircraft at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno Sept. 10-14, 2008. Filename: smile

Photo: MIKE SHREAVE

Flying high in Reno

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Marilyn Dash of Hayward, who took her first flying lesson nine years ago on her 37th birthday, is now tearing around pylons at 180 miles per hour, 50 feet off the ground in her souped-up biplane, surrounded by a swarm of other planes all dashing to a finish line in the air. Dash will be one of more than 150 pilots competing in six classes of aircraft - from biplanes to jets - when the National Championship Air Races and Air Show take off Sept. 10 to 14 in Reno. In addition to dozens of wingtip-to-wingtip races at as much as 500 mph, the event will include displays of military aircraft, restored antique planes, the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds aerobatic team and flying demonstrations of the F-22 Raptor, the country's newest fighter, which incorporates stealth technology. More than 200 aircraft will take part.

Dash's plane is a compact Pitt's Special, a modern biplane designed for speed and maneuverability.

"This is not something you buy to take the kids out flying," she says. "It's not easy to fly and not easy to maintain. If you buy one of these, you must know what you're doing."

Even for seasoned fliers, the races have to be regarded as hazardous. Last year, three pilots were killed in crashes. Does she consider what she does dangerous?

"Yes," she says, pausing, "and no. The National Championship Air Races operational people, the air bosses, the pilots and crews, we do everything we can to maintain safety. We know what we're doing. We fly the airplanes a lot. My crew knows the airplane backward. I think we're doing the best we can, and the only thing I can say is that things happen outside of our control, and that's when accidents happen."

She said safety has always been emphasized, but last year's crashes have revived the issue.

"Everyone from the FAA to the air races personnel, to my crew, the pilots, everybody is focused on safety, and it's not just because of last year," she said.

Almost from the time she first flew a plane, Dash has been interested in racing. When she was taking flying lessons in San Carlos, Dash's instructor took her and other student pilots to the air races in Reno.

"After watching them race for 10 minutes," Dash says, "I wanted to learn how to do that."

After lessons, special racing school and hundreds of hours of practice, Dash became a racer and an aerobatic flier. In 2003, she bought her 16-foot aircraft, and for three years she flew in aerobatic competitions in California. She first raced in Reno in 2004.

A specialist in sales software when she isn't flying, Dash will be one of only four female pilots in the races. It's a male-dominated sport, but, she says, as a beginner she was treated fairly by the other pilots.

"But just like anyone else, you have to prove yourself," she says. "If they are going to race that close to you, they want to make sure you know what you're doing."

"It probably is 10 minutes for the whole race, but it's the most focused 10 minutes of your life," she says. "You're not thinking about the grocery list."

All the races are conducted on a closed course over the high-desert landscape surrounding Reno's Stead Field. Pilots maneuver around pylons that mark the course and zoom past the grandstands with each lap. Three qualifying heats will be flown each day in each aircraft class, so spectators can see 18 races daily. The final races for each class will take place Sept. 14. There will be military flybys and aerobatic displays between races. Officials expect more than 200,000 people to attend during the five days.

The antique aircraft on display will be taking part in the National Aviation Heritage Invitational, a competition sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, Rolls-Royce and the Reno Air Racing Foundation. Its purpose is to encourage the preservation and restoration of vintage aircraft and is open to airplanes at least 45 years old in flying condition.

Although it's a biplane, Dash's aircraft is not an antique, but it's a high-powered racing machine.

"Imagine strapping your butt to an engine and going 180 miles an hour with seven other airplanes all around you," she says. "Does that sound like fun?"

Reno Championship Air Races and Air Show: Sept. 10-14 Reno Stead Field. From I-80 in Reno exit to U.S. 395 north. After 8 miles, exit at Stead Boulevard. Turn east and follow the signs. The Thunderbirds will perform Sept. 12 and 13 only. $5-$75. (775) 972-6663, www. airrace.org.

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.